Federer is ‘pumped up’

REFLECTION: SAYS HE IS READY TO RAISE THE BAR AFTER EARLY HALLE EXIT

Roger Federer says he is “excited” and “pumped up” as he targets a ninth Wimbledon title – a far cry from the disgruntled figure who exited Halle in the second round earlier this month.

The 39-year-old Swiss accepted the manner of his 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat by Felix Auger-Aliassime both on and off the court had fallen short of the high standards he has set over the past two decades.

“I mean, I had a mental moment where I was just, you know, not happy with how things were going in the match,” Federer said at his pre-Wimbledon press conference on Saturday.

“I mean, that feeling when I started not liking – when things derail, let’s say,

“There’s ways to lose and a standard I set for myself how I go about things.

“The good thing now looking back is I know it will not happen here because I’m ready, I’m excited, I’m pumped up.”

Seeded six and with just eight tour matches under his belt this year he will face a tough first round opponent in France’s Adrian Mannarino, who has reached the Last 16 at Wimbledon on three occasions.

Federer, though, insists that having got used to the Wimbledon bubble – due to the coronavirus pandemic – both in the hotel and at the All England Club, he is raring to go.

He had a hit out on the Wimbledon courts with two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray on Friday – something he said they had not done for the best part of 15 years.

He says he has taken whatever positives he can out of the Halle situation – a tournament he had won 10 times and used as his annual prep for Wimbledon.

“I think I got to take the positives out of these last few weeks that I’m actually here at Wimbledon right now and I have a chance,” he said.

“I know if I get rolling, I get into the second week, which is the goal here right now, that I get stronger and stronger as every match goes by,

“I come here feeling mentally strong rather with the last set I played in Halle, which was clearly not the standard I like.”

Federer has like great rivals Murray and to a lesser extent Rafael Nadal – both younger than him but in their mid 30’s – struggled with fitness issues and recently withdrew from the French Open, where he had been in the same half of the draw as Djokovic and Nadal. –